Theresa May to issue call for unity as she formally begins the historic Brexit process

Prime Minister Theresa May will kick off the historic process of taking Britain out of the EU with a vow to fight for citizens, including European nationals, and a call for the people of Britain to unite.

May's ambassador to Brussels, sir Tim Barrow, will tomorrow notify the EU of the beginning of Brexit talks around lunchtime, while the Prime Minister remains in the UK to address parliament.

"We all want a nation that is safe and secure for our children and grandchildren. We all want to live in a truly global Britain that gets out and builds relationships with old friends and new allies around the world," she will say.

"These are the ambitions of this government’s plan for Britain. Ambitions that unite us, so that we are no longer defined by the vote we cast, but by our determination to make a success of the result."

She will add: "We are one great union of people and nations with a proud history and a bright future. And, now that the decision has been made to leave the EU, it is time to come together."